Ski pylon

[time2kyl]

I just bought a 97 PRE 2200 and want to remove the ski pylon from the boat. I have a tower and don't plan on doing any skiing. If needed will just hook up the rope to the transom tow point. My question is if there is a good plate or cover to put on the deck or maybe just pop into the flange that the pylon currently goes through so I don't break my toe on the hole.

[Wake Havasu]

100 MPH duct tape underneath followed with a cool sticker is what I'd do.

Use some marine grade silicon to build up to the top and add a nice sticker.

You can always undue the set up.

I will remove mine too.

It's not secure at all and just bolted thru 3/4" of fiber glass!

I have a 24Ve.

[dogbert]

Originally posted by Wake Havasu
100 MPH duct tape underneath followed with a cool sticker is what I'd do.

Use some marine grade silicon to build up to the top and add a nice sticker.

You can always undue the set up.

I will remove mine too.

It's not secure at all and just bolted thru 3/4" of fiber glass!

I have a 24Ve.

I was at a boat show a couple of months ago and they had a Supra 24 SSV Gravity Games Edition. It had a really cool retractable pylon.

[bfrank]

Are you intrested in selling it??

[spharis]

Are you talking about an extended pylon (skylon) or the short pylon?

I just tightened mine up b/c it had some rattle. Drove me nuts trying to find it.

Post pics of what you end up doing. I want to can mine as well.

bfrank, I have a skylon I keep going back and forth on. I think I have finally decided I want to sell it and order a Phat Budde. Are you wanting one of those? Its the two piece.

[yearroundboarder]

Same thoughts here. I just bought a '06 22 Ve' and was thinking that the only towing I'd do from the pylon was with tubes. After reading all the headaches that come from that and looking into how weak the factory mount is, I've decided to take mine out so people don't break their neck on it. In the meantime, I'm looking into having a local machine shop work me up a polished aluminum grommet; a few minutes on a lathe and walah. Silicone it in place and it might actually look alright.

My buddy has a Malibu V-ride and it came standard with a very good set up - Retractable pylon, secured in a steel frame. Looks like you could tow anything fro it. Maybe Tige' should look into that?

If my shop comes up with something that looks good, I'll post a few pics after I install it.

[laketime]

whats the point of removing it. its not really in the way that much is it. i dont ski but ocassionaly we'll bring somone who wants to ski, and weve used it for the tube before.

[spharis]

Mine was used for a tube by the previous owner, and it heated the vinyl up from the back and forth motion......vinyl split. I would say no no on the tube from there.

Plus I have an i, so it is in the way for maintenance and stepping through.

[yearroundboarder]

I'll remove mine. 99% Wakeboarding and tubing behind our boat. Every trip out, my wife and kids crawl all over the sunpad. If you've seen it, the pylon is the only thing sticking inches above the pad. For us, it just gets in the way.

[laketime]

yah ours is an inboard so the pylon isnt in the way. i can see it being in the way on the sun deck on a v-drive. makes more sense now. we dont tube off of it anymore though. that was just when we bought the boat and were experimenting. its very rare that anyone skis behind our boat. i only board. my parents might ski twice a year. so if we had a v drive we would probably get rid of the pylon and pull from the back.

[dogbert]

Originally posted by laketime
yah ours is an inboard so the pylon isnt in the way. i can see it being in the way on the sun deck on a v-drive. makes more sense now. we dont tube off of it anymore though. that was just when we bought the boat and were experimenting. its very rare that anyone skis behind our boat. i only board. my parents might ski twice a year. so if we had a v drive we would probably get rid of the pylon and pull from the back.

If you're a halfway decent skier, I wouldn't want to be pulled from the tow ring on a v-drive. The pylon is closer to the tracking fins so you get less lateral movement during your cuts. On some boats (like mine) the pylon is mounted to a rather heavy duty steel frame that allows you to lower it. Mine is barely above the deck, so it's less in the way. I used to have a telescopic pylon, but removed it after I got the tower.

[spharis]

Originally posted by laketime
yah ours is an inboard so the pylon isnt in the way. So is mine and I think the opposite. Kids can squeeze through, but an adult has to high step to walk between the driver seat and the starboard walkway. Then when you lift the hood, if you need to lay in the bow isle, it is in the way to do work on anything.

[Aquajack]

Time2kyl

Is your 97 PRE 2200 a V-drive? If so, you may be able to loosen the mounting bolts on your pylon and let it drop down flush with the rear motor box padding. At least you could do that on a 2001 21v. The older boats actually had REAL pylons mounted to the motor and stringers, unlike the newer models that are just bolted to the figberglass deck.

[time2kyl]

It is a v-drive and the pylon is mounted by the driver where it would be in an I. I took the pylon out and just have duct tape over the hole at the moment, ghetto I know, but I wanted to see how it went. I'm probably going to make a cover out of some scrap aluminum to cover the hole that will be easily removable if I ever decide to put the pylon back in.